Team Suzuki Press Office - June 18, 2007.
Former World and British Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson will test the Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire this Wednesday and Thursday in a bid to boost the team's performance during the second half of the 2007 BSB season.
Isle of Man resident Hodgson (34) has been drafted in for this test by Rizla Suzuki so he can apply his considerable depth of experience and talent to the GSX-R1000 and suggest fresh ideas that will assist the team to be as competitive as possible.
The 2000 British Superbike Champion and 2003 World Superbike Champion is no stranger to tight twisty tracks like the 2.173-mile long Cadwell Park after spending two years on the challenging circuits of the American Superbike Championship. Without a race seat in 2007, he has already been used by a leading MotoGP team as a test and development rider and will now use those skills for Rizla Suzuki.

"I am thrilled and excited to have the opportunity to test the Rizla Suzuki," said Hodgson. "My aim is to use my experience to give Rizla Suzuki another opinion or direction on the performance of its race bikes. I've been keeping in shape and I am sharp so I can't wait to get going."

Rizla Suzuki's regular riders will not be attending the test at Cadwell Park but will be keeping close tabs on progress through Team Manager Simon Buckmaster.

"I have always maintained that Rizla Suzuki will use every means at its disposal to be as competitive as possible and Neil testing our bike and giving us a fresh opinion is simply another approach to improving performance," explained Buckmaster. "We hope that we can come away from Cadwell Park with new direction and improved performance for us to take to Knockhill and the seventh round of the Championship in just over a week's time."